


Becoming

by rr2



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-11 21:36:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rr2/pseuds/rr2





	1. Chapter 1

The Princess of Dorne  
“What about Jaime and Elia,”said the Princess of Dorne. Tywin looks wearily, “I suppose. It wouldn’t be too bad a match although Elia doesn’t seem too healthy.” I hesitate. Yes, Elia has never been the healthiest of girls, but I have consulted with the maesters themselves. She is fit for childbearing. “If I may beg pardon during this time, even the healthiest of women have been failed by it. It is what Joanna wanted. Jaime would do well in Dorne. It isn’t like they will be married next week Jaime is nine and Elia sixteen. He can with boys close to his age. I know that the young Lord of Starfall’s younger brother has just been announced as the new Sword of Morning. It would be no problem getting the young Ser Arthur to take on Jaime as a squire while in Dorne.” I hope this settles the matter. I have played my last card. If he doesn’t accept, then I will just look elsewhere. A Princess of Dorne does not beg. Tywin pinches the bridge of his nose and says “I will send for the children and explain the situation. I will have the servants pack Jaime’s belongings. I am entrusting you to keep my heir safe and protected. Although I am apprehensive about the match, it is what Joanna wanted.” I leave Tywin alone in the room and to his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Six years later  
Jaime Lannister  
“You aren’t gonna catch me”, I say. Wind rushing through my hair after having lost the veil that protects my face from the scorching Dornish sun during the horserace. They keep having to be replaced. I make it to the castle first. Oberyn bringing up the rear. “So after six years here, you finally manage to beat me,” Oberyn says. I smile, a smile tinged with sadness. I will be leaving soon for good this time. I don’t like to remember that. A lithe dark older man walks up to us, Prince Lewyn Martell, brother to the ruling Princess of Dorne and announces that the Princess would like to see me in the room. I knock on her door. A small voice beckons me in. The Princess is lying in bed. While a child, I could never imagine such a majestic woman so frail. She is up ecstatically ordering servants around one minute then the next day a cough takes her. The coughs have now been growing much frequently. She has grown much weaker. As I walk to a bed, I notice that I am not the only person in the room. A young woman attending her. The Princess looks up and beckons me to come to her. I do. I bow my head to the woman in the chair. A hoarse cough escapes from her mouth. “ My ,my, you really are the splitting image of your mother. When we were companions together, we had so much fun. I miss her,” she says. I smile weakly. My mother has been dead for six years. Her strength fells her for the moment and she slips to sleep. I look over at the young woman in the chair. My betrothed. She gets up out of her chair to leave with me since there isn’t much she could do. We walk in silence for a while. I finally speak up. “How long do you think she has?” Do you think we should really leave to go to Casterly Rock?” Elia stays quiet for a moment. She does that. She likes to think before she says something where I am more than willing to use my sword. In a clear voice, she speaks, “You don’t give my mother enough credit. She could outlast us all.” She says with a small laugh. “Casterly Rock is your home. You are now a knight. You are heir to the Westerlands. You should be their learning what it means to be a Lord.” I walk Elia to her room and bid her farewell with a kiss on her wrist. Leaving at this time doesn’t feel right, but we must. Elia’s right. She is always right where I am concerned. Later that night, a knock sounds on the door. Then Oberyn marches in without my assent. A flagon in each hand. Oberyn bids me take it. “Elia told me that you are worried and that you don’t think you two should go to Casterly Rock at the moment.” I roll my eyes. She tells him everything of course she would tell him this. It’s no big deal but it is hard when you want to keep a secret. I often wonder if who should be the one marrying Elia, him or me. You would think they were twins like me and Cersei with a secret language. “I know. I know. I know.” I say. “Good, now that that is settled. Let’s go to a brothel”, he says. I spit out my wine. I shake my head. “I can’t. I am marrying your sister, I say. Oberyn bursts out laughing. “You’re no fun.” I shrug my shoulders. Oberyn has become like a brother to me. There have been many a time when I was the one left to stand off against a scorned husband or father while Oberyn and the woman was indisposed. I am going to miss this.


	3. Chapter 3

Elia

The boat ride to Casterly Rock was terrible and so cramped even without the extra retinue that usually travels with me as a Princess of Dorne. I didn’t have that retinue anymore. Yes, Mother allowed me to take with me my beloved Maester Gaiman and a couple of ladies, but everyone else I was to leave. I knew why. I wasn’t a child anymore. I was to become the future Lady of Casterly Rock, mother to lions and suns. One of the most important lessons that my mother taught me was to endear myself to the people. I had to make the public love me that meant that surrounding myself and fratitizing with Dorne in a foreign Kingdom was a big no no. I had to be as strong as my lady mother and willful too.   
Everyone is expecting me to fail. They have been expecting me to fail since the moment I came into this world. I am Elia Nymeros Martell, Princess of Dorne. I will not fail in my duty. I will be the wife that Jaime needs not the one he wants.

That is why I couldn’t let my discomfort and how much it weakened me show. Not to Maester Gaiman. Not to Jaime. Never to the world. That is why I was considerably happy when we docked. As the carriage bumped along the rode, Jaime rode beside my window.   
He smiled down at me. I smiled back at him. He was like my golden sun. My protector. I remember our first meeting and when Mother had told me I was to be his betrothed. I couldn’t believe it. I was horrified. He was just so young. After my ill-fated meeting with Baelor Breakwind who was just so handsome, I thought I would never marry. Oberyn would never let me marry. After the betrothal announcement, Oberyn was forever teasing me about my young betrothed.

I made it my goal to make the best of it. I was Elia of Dorne. He had just lost his mother. He was leaving his sister and the only other family members he had known behind. I could at least make him feel welcome. Oberyn and I took him everywhere. We traveled Essos. We visited the pleasure palaces in Lys. We went to the temples of the Summer Islanders and watched their worship. I refused to let any discomfort that I felt harp on anyone’s enjoyment. I enjoyed my travels. I knew what a privileged position I was in. I am a daughter of Dorne and all of Dorne’s daughters know that. By a twist of fate, we had been born in Dorne were if possible we would one day rule without our male relatives ambitions getting in the way of our rights. 

I peered my head out the window and looked up to see my new home. It was etched into rock. It was nothing like Sunspear. I wondered if I would truly do well here. I realized that I couldn’t think like that. I must. 

As my carriage pulled toward the Lannister stronghold, it came to an abrupt stop. Jaime opened my door. He held out his hand as I took it. I slowly stepped down. I wobbled a little. At that wobble, Jaime’s body against my chest seemed to stiffen. I look up with a grimaced smile in hopes of easing his anxiety. “I’m fine,” I whisper into his ear. “Nothing to worry about,” I say.  
He moves past me to help my ladies out of the carriage. Doreen Gargalen, niece of the current Lord Gargalen and Noreen Uller, cousin to the current Lord Uller. They came with me in hopes of finding husbands because my future father-in-law is such an influential man.

After looking to make sure they are okay, I turn to the crowd of people who I know have been watching. In a straight line across, it seems as if the whole of Casterly Rock has come to meet us. As I look at their faces, I realize the true weight of who I will be to them. I slowly walk toward the first person and bow my head as a sign of greeting and respect. I continuously did this from the highest of Lord Twin’s bannermen and many Lannister cousins to the washerwomen, grooms, and maids.

My deepest and most respectful bow is for Jaime’s twin sister. When he left for Dorne, I knew that he missed her the most. I also took the time to as gracefully as possible curtsy to Jaime’s little brother, Tyrion. I remember seeing him after he was just born. They called him a monster, but I just saw a little baby who the world would be angry at and who had just lost its mother. I found him fascinating.   
Tyrion looks at me and asks a question. “Are you going to be my new sister?” It breaks my heart. I say, “Yes, I will be.” I reach into the satchel that I have on my hip. I know. Very unladylike for a princess of Dorne and take out a blood orange and hand it to Tyrion. I pull my finger to my mouth in the shhing sign. I whisper to him that it will be our secret. I stand up and straighten myself and look over at Cersei, a scowl permeating her pretty mouth. 

My mother had let me in on a little secret that Tywin Lannister, Jaime’s father had hoped to make Cersei Queen. When I found out, I had been most interested. I was to be goodsister to a future Queen but as the years pass, nothing ever came of it. Now, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone wed the sister of Lord Mace Tyrell, Mina. My mother told me that Lord Mace is practically foaming at the mouth. The Tyrells were still itching at the slight done to them when King Viserys I married a lady of House Hightower over the Tyrells themselves. Word has it that the Lady Mina is expecting soon and the Dragon Prince will have his heir. I say good riddance with that family. Although they are kin the stories that are told about the Dragon King’s sanity doesn’t do well to foster any appreciation in me for our King.   
I look around at the surrounding people for the first time noticing that someone important is missing. “Where’s my future goodfather”, I say. Jaime’s uncle, Ser Kevan steps up and tells me that he is still away in King’s Landing but he plans to make it back for the wedding. I smile to that and bow.


	4. Chapter 4

Jaime  
Elia was excellent this morning all through the boat ride and the carriage ride. I had been so worried earlier because I thought she would be too tired, but she repeatedly pulled through where I feared she would fail. This day has been a dream. It has been so wonderful seeing Tyrion, who has grown so big and Cersei especially Cersei. She has grown so beautiful. We spent the later part of the day feasting and drinking wine. One of the Freys challenged me to a duel tomorrow. I will ask to wear Elia’s favor. I will fight in her honour. The only sore spot is that Father isn’t here. 

After drinking, I fall stumbling to my old room throwing off various articles of clothing. I am so loud that I don’t even notice a figure sitting in the chair on the other side of the bed. I reach for a candle to light the rest of the room. After lighting the room, I see what I didn’t see before Cersei’s pale figure and practically glowing blond curls. “How have you been?”, she says in a tiny voice that was so un-Cersei like. “Fine,” I say. “Just glad to be home.” Dornish sand can be rough on a body. “Did you miss me?, she said in her still tiny voice. I laugh out loud. “Of course, I missed you. We are twins”, I say. That seems to satisfy her a little bit. She sits on my bed and just starts talking about everything. 

She tells me so much that. It’s like I have been gone for 20 years, which is almost true. She tells me about her time and King’s Landing and about how much she hated it there. How Lord Jon Arryn has been prancing around in hopes of having his heir, Elbert betrothed to her. She feels that Father tells her nothing. He just has her prance around King’s Landing. She’s a woman grown. She’s fit to be wedded and bedded. She also talks of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and his wife the Lady Mina. The Tyrells have been invading King’s Landing and the Red Keep. Mace Tyrell has been meddling into affairs that are none of his business father says. Before I know it, I am drifting off to sleep with Cersei's voice soothing me into my oblivion.


End file.
